EU 'close' to agreeing on asset freeze on Putin, Lavrov: Luxembourg

Luxembourg's foreign minister said Friday that the 27-nation European Union was very close to agreement to freezing the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Jean Asselborn said before a meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss Russian sanctions that I think we are very close to an agreement, that we will find an agreement here, for sanctions on the two.

There will be a discussion but I think we agree that Putin and Lavrov, as far as the freezing of assets is concerned, that we will find a consensus here, he said.

Asselborn said Russia would be hurt by the banks measures.

We can't talk everything on this, talk everything down because we don't have SWIFT on the list at this moment. Once again: the debate about SWIFT is not off the table, it will continue."

EU leaders largely agreed it was too soon to impose a travel ban on Putin and Lavrov because negotiating channels needed to be kept open.